A means Addicted
by Shelby McQueen
Summary: Horitsuba AU, part of "Enchanted Cycle". This story is about how our notorious heroes became crazy with World of Warcraft and what have become of it.


**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own anything, hearts and souls, and characters belong to CLAMP.

* * *

><p><strong><em><strong><em>A means Addicted<em>**_**

* * *

><p>Amost every teacher and every student in Shiritsu Horitsuba Gakuen had some obsession of his own, something they liked more than anything else. Those obsessions and addictions varied greatly – from favorite candies and books to favorite people, or hobbies of spying on all the sweet couples (and Horitsuba had plenty of those for sure). But still, Fai could never imagine that his favorite P.E. teacher would develop the completely new obsession…<p>

* * *

><p>"Kuro-myu, ne, Kuro-myu! Lets go to the lunch together!" – Fai graciously entered the P.E. teacher's room.<p>

Kurogane stopped locking his door during the day long time ago, as he grew accustomed to Fai's tradition to always barge in without knocking.

Fai expected to hear the usual _"I'm Kuro**gane**, idiot!"_ roar, or at least some angry muttering. What he wasn't expecting to hear was…

"Aha! I owned you, you bastard! Just a little bit and I'll get the level!"

"K-Kuro-min?" – whispered Fai, staring at Kurogane in shock.

The grim and strict P.E. teacher was sitting by the computer, completely drowned in game. Sounds of clashing swords and spells were filling the room. Fai blinked and pinched himself to make sure he isn't hallucinating.

"Kuro-pu?" – he tried again. – "Lets go to eat something?"

Kurogane waved off his hand, not even looking at chemistry teacher.

"Later, not now, am questing, can't lose…" – he muttered incomprehensibly and the next second he was drowned into the game again.

* * *

><p>Fai was walking towards Horitsuba, holding a pile of books and frowning. Kurogane's strange behavior was bothering him greatly. Besides, what kind of game could it be, to suck him in so completely and thoroughly? Fai was drown into his thoughts to such extent, that he didn't notice he bumped into somebody.<p>

"Ah! Watanuki-kun, I'm sorry!" – chemistry teacher apologized promptly, collecting the books he dropped.

"It's alright, Fai-sensei," – Watanuki bent down to help him with the books. – "Ah…" - he sighed.

Fai looked at him with surprise.

"Is something wrong, Watanuki-kun?"

For the minute the boy seemed to doubt whether to tell or not, but then he erupted.

"It's all that stupid Doumeki! Can you believe it? He managed to surpass me for fifteen levels already! _**Fifteen**_! I'll never catch up with him now! Unlike him, I have to cook all by myself, and clean, and help Yuui-sensei, and do other things! It's just him who can do nothing but play all day long! And he is always in the way when I want to take a party quest with my hunter and Himawari-chan's priest!" – Watanuki seemed to be close to bursting into tears.

Fai felt the chill creeping down his spine.

_"Oh no, tell me it's not what I think it is…"_ – he groaned in his mind.

"Um… Watanuki-kun," – he said out loud. – "You're talking about the game, right? About the same one Kuro-rin's playing, right?"

Watanuki's mouth dropped open.

"What? Kurogane-sensei is playing the _World of Warcraft_ too? That's great! I'll invite him to out guild then, it's perfect! Which class has he chosen?"

"Eh?" – Fai had no idea what was this about.

"You don't know? Pity. Oh well, I'll ask him myself then," – suddenly Watanuki noticed a familiar figure by the school's entrance. – "Aha, so he came after all! Excuse me, Fai-sensei, I have to go!" – Watanuki ran off, shouting something threatening to Doumeki, who, in return, was calmly chewing on his sandwich, watching hyperactive Kimihiro with expressionless face.

The blond teacher shook his head.

"I think I should go see the doctor after all," – he muttered. – "I _must_ be hallucinating."

* * *

><p>With the growing horror, Fai noticed during the following days that many students in his and other classes were talking about that strange game. Shaoran and Shaoron were arguing about pros and cons of classes, and Sakura and Himawari were discussing how to make their priests look prettier. Fai began to feel his head aching.<p>

In elder classes situation was even worse. The chemistry teacher accidentally heard the heated debate of Hokuto with her brother – she was telling him how cool her shaman was, and how Subaru's druid made a perfect couple with Seishirou's warlock. Fai decided he was surely going insane.

In the end he made up his mind to go to the only person, who could explain him at least a tiny bit of what was going on around here.

* * *

><p>Fai peeked into the principal's room and was shocked by the image. He was almost completely sure that he'd find Yuuko playing too, but instead he found Horitsuba's principal in a very rare condition – she was working. With glasses on the tip of her nose, Yuuko was sitting by her desk and was studying student's works, correcting mistakes.<p>

"Yuuko-san?" – Fai asked shyly, not daring to come inside. – "May I?"

The woman presented him with her famous "I-know-all-about-it" smirk and nodded.

"Come in, Fai. Something is bothering you, right?"

Fai hesitated.

"It's about this game… I'm not sure if you noticed…"

"Oh, that," – Yuuko said with understanding. – "I see. It's Shaoron."

"Eh?" – Fai blinked.

"Shaoron told his brother about this game, Shaoran then told Sakura, she told Himawari, Himawari told Watanuki and Doumeki… and so it began. As far as I can tell, this obsession hasn't caught you yet?"

Fai shook his head.

"No, it hasn't. But Kuro-wanko…" – he mumbled. – "He stopped paying attention to me at all!" – the blond exclaimed with sadness. – "I don't know how to tear him away from that stupid game! The last few days I just can't reach him!"

Yuuko looked at Fai pensively, then smirked.

"Well then. Shall I help you about it? Listen…"

* * *

><p>Several days later Fai tried to pull Kurogane from his computer to the fresh air again.<p>

"Look what a wonderful weather it is!" – outside was sunny and warm, merry voices of students and pupils were heard – they've decided to spend a day in school's park. – "Lets go get some ice-cream."

"You go, I'm waiting for someone," – Kurogane muttered, distracted, typing something on his keyboard.

Fai snorted.

"And whom are you waiting for?"

"I met a guy here recently… he's mage, making levels real fast…" – Kurogane still was staring at his monitor.

Fai sighed.

"As you wish," – he turned and walked away.

* * *

><p><em>CelesMagician online.<em>

Kurogane raised his head.

"Finally," – he said.

_"Hey! I've been waiting for you. What do you say, lets go finish _off _that monster we were planning to yesterday?"_ – he typed quickly.

_"…"_ – the answer came.

_"What's wrong?"_

_"You know, Kuro-wanko, you're an idiot."_

_CelesMagician logged off._

Kurogane was staring at the letters in disbelief for a few minutes.

"Oh shit," – he concluded.

* * *

><p>Fai turned his computer off and sighed in disappointment. Yuuko's plan of getting to Kurogane inside the game itself was fun at first, but after a while he grew tired of it. The blond rubbed his eyes and glanced through the window. Perhaps he really should go for a walk, even if he'd be alone. Enough of this sitting in front of computer. And that guy may go and shove his game up his…<p>

Where "that guy" supposed to shove his game, Fai didn't have a chance to think through – somebody knocked at his door.

"And what are you doing here?" – chemistry teacher asked darkly, seeing Kurogane in front of his door.

"It's a fine weather outside," – the man growled. – "Lets go get some ice-cream."

Fai raised an eyebrow.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Kurogane sighed.

"You… listen. I'm sorry. You're right, I'm an idiot. So… lets go for a walk, really?"

The blond was looking at him quietly. Kurogane tried again.

"Please, lets go… Fai?"

Chemistry teacher looked at him with disbelief.

_"Look at that, historical moment – he called me by my name!"_ – he thought a bit sarcastically, then he smirked, reaching for his coat.

"Your treat."


End file.
